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View Full Version : CD Question - FB vs. Bumkins



AugBaby
02-28-2003, 12:16 AM
Although it's a little late in the game, dd is 18 months old, I decided to switch over to CD'ing. Because of tight finances at the moment, we can't jump in and get a whole system started immediately. I figured that I'd start with what we could and combine with disposables until we're CD'ing full time or she's potty trained!

I've been reading and reading and am somewhat overwhelmed by the topic. I don't like the idea of a low rise, and I really liked the aspect of having an AIO. I've seen plenty of good things written about both FBs and Bumkins. What's the difference between them? Any other recommendations for starting so late? Also, I was told that I can't dry FBs in the dryer. Is this true?

Thanks!

sparkeze
02-28-2003, 01:47 AM
I switched to CD when DS was about 6 mo and I thought I liked the AIOs best for the first couple weeks, but now I don't really like them unless we're out and about. DH still likes AIOs best but unless I'm running errands, I don't use them. So you might want to try a few, but especially since your budget is tight they're really not cost effective at all. If you buy 2-3 covers and enough fitteds/PFs to last depending on your laundry frequency, it's a LOT cheaper than buying the same number of AIOs.

Fuzzi Bunz are not quite AIOs. They are just a shell and you need something to stuff inside for absorbancy. Alone, FBs have zero absorbancy. Bumkins makes AIOs and covers so if you got the AIOs you wouldn't need anything else. If you got the cover you would need a diaper inside. If you dry anything made with PUL (the waterproof material) it won't last as long. Which is another reason why AIOs are not cost-effective. On the other hand, if you got AIOs that had snap in soakers, you wouldn't have to put the outer PUL part in the dryer, but you'd still have to wash them with every use. So you can put FBs in the dryer, but to get as much life out of them you probably don't want to all the time.

Also with the low rise, the only diaper that I've really noticed has a low rise are Kissaluvs.

CDing really can be overwhelming, but if you're not super picky you should be satisfied with a lot of different products. I mean, the basic idea is that you need something is absorb pee, right? Now if only I could convince myself of that... :)

egoldber
02-28-2003, 08:49 AM
I like FBs and Bumkins both. If I were you, I would start with a sampler from naturalbabies.com. You get a FB and a Bumkins in her sampler as well as a fitted and cover. This way you can try them all, keep and buy more of what you like and sell what you don't. You can also try a fitted+cover and may discover you don't think it's too bad.

As sparkeze said, a FB is a "pocket diaper". I like them because you can stuff them with enough layers to last all night. (I use mine only at night). They are more expensive to start when and then you need to buy stuffing material. That can be a cheap as a prefold or as expensive as a JoeyBunz.

I like Bumkins AIOs for when I am going out. They are not as expensive as the FBs, but I do need to add extra absorbancy if I knwo I will not be able to change Sarah for awhile.

At 18 months, you could probably easily get away with having only 18 diapers. While I have a lot of diapers, I generally one use: 8 Motherease Onesize, 4 Motherease Sandies, 3 Kissaluvs, 4 Bumkins and 3 FBs. I wash every other day and only use the Bumkins when going out, and the third FB is a "spare".

HTH,

Calmegja
02-28-2003, 09:59 AM
I like the sampler idea...it's an easy and cost effective way to see what's out there, and what works. I got mine from naturalbabies as well.

We just switched my 9 month old, and 3 year old at night. There was some trial and error, but I really like Bumkins and FB. For a disposable convert, it was an easier transition to make for us (8 years of diapering in disposables). I have some other kinds that I've experimented with, and bought to figure out...

The Bumkins are great. Easy care, easy wash, and with a doubler, they do just fine. I use fleece topped hemp inserts in my Bumkins, and I'm happy as could be with how well they work...

I think, cost wise, you could do well with 18 of something to get you through a two day wash cycle. You could compose it with whatever works for you, after you try a sampler pack and see how it works...

AugBaby
03-01-2003, 11:34 PM
Having only seen pictures of CDs with the exception of FB, I had assumed that eventhough I saw that there was a JoeyBunz in the FB, that this was what an AIO looked like. I could never figure out what a "pocket" diaper was. LOL! The woman I know who uses FB told me that they're much more absorbant than PFs because the moisture is wicked away into the insert. I've also seen so many posts of people really liking them. I'd love to take a more cost effective route, but didn't want to compromise on dd's comfort.

I've seen that several of you have posted that you're not crazy about using AIOs or FBs on an every day basis. What makes them less desirable?

Thanks for the sampler suggestion. I'm going to go check it out. I know that even if I'm not happy with a particular diaper, I will probably never sell it. So, the idea of sampling a few different types is probably a smarter alternative than getting all one and then being stuck with it.

I really appreciate the feedback.

egoldber
03-01-2003, 11:50 PM
There are a few reasons for not using FBs or AIOs all the time. The first is cost. :) Other reasons include:

longer drying time for some AIOs (although I do not have this problem)
drying the AIO constantly reduces its lifespan
they generally do not have as good a re-sale value

Only you can decide if any of that is important to you. I do not dry any of my FBs or any covers, but they easily air dry over night, so I have never found this to be an issue. If you want the advantages of fleece at night, you can always use fleece liners with ANY diaper.

HTH,

Calmegja
03-02-2003, 09:30 AM
I do use them every day, but the two big problems are as Beth stated, drying time and cost.

I think I spent probably much more than I would have, in a different system, and I have more diapers than I would really need, but I have them in place to compensate for drying times, even though I haven't had much problem with that. I sampled from all over the place before I picked what worked the best for us.

For a 9 month old, I have 18 FB, 12 Bumkins, 5 WAHM AIOs (Angelwraps/Liz's Cloth). I bought 20 fleece topped joeys to boost absorption in the Bumkins, and I have 30 JoeyBunz, of assorted sizes...I also have some Kissaluv contours, that I stuff FB's with, and some microterry inserts for Fuzzis. I have a few other trial diapers (some fitteds, some prefolds), but I don't much care for them or use them.

This lets me wash every 2-3 days, with no trouble, and I haven't had any issues with drying time. I put the Bumkins in the dryer, and then hang to dry after one cycle, which takes really, no time at all. The WAHM AIOs are the time eaters, so I don't have many of those. The FB get washed easily, and hang to dry in a few hours.

The inserts get treated pretty harshly, though- hot wash, hot dryer, and they dry quickly.

My system wasn't the cheapest in the world, but long term, it'll save us money over disposables (at least that's the song I'm playng in my head), I'm happy with it (after 8 years of disposable diapering, I'm slow to change), and the care routine is really pretty easy.

Hope that helps!